I've been gathering a lot of information, but I wanted someone to verify some of my facts.

Anywho...this is a blog I've written, but I plan on printing it off for several of my family members to read about the diseases vs the vaccinations and which is actually scarier. I plan on posting it on 2 of my more mainstream sites as well, and I don't want someone saying "nuh huh! you're wrong about X" kwim? I'm completely open to suggestions as well.

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A lot of the vaccines they suggest children get are for diseases that are not life-threatening in a healthy child. Raise your hand if you had chicken pox. It did suck having a fever and scratching for a week or two, but once you've had it you are forever immune to it. Let me break down each disease children are suggested to be immunized against:

Measles same as chicken pox as far as "deadly". Once you've had it, you're done for life.
Mumps doesn't phase children as much as adults. Once you've had it, you're done for life

Rubella 1-3 days of German measles that most of the time goes undetected

Rotavirus (diarreah. By the age of five, nearly every child in the world has been infected with rotavirus at least once. However, with each infection, immunity develops, subsequent infections are less severe, and adults are rarely affected.)

Tetanus The thing with Tetanus is that even if you are up to date with your vaccine and you step on a rusty nail, they're going to treat you just like you've never had one before.

Pertussis (Whooping cough) Essentially, this is a respitory infection with a bad cough. Antibiotic treatment is available.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Most children who first come in contact with Hib don't have a problem. Because meningitis is also caused by other viruses and bacteria. Hib vaccine will only protect against meningitis caused by Hib.

Polio Polio itself is pretty darn scary, but there has not been a single case of polio caused by the wild virus since 1979, with a rare case reported each year from persons coming into the country carrying the virus. In 1994, polio was declared eradicated in all of the Americas.

Hepatitis A Hepatitis A does not have a chronic stage and does not cause permanent liver damage. Following infection, the immune system makes antibodies against the hepatitis A virus that confer immunity against future infection. An infection can be mistaken for the flu, but some sufferers, especially children, exhibit no symptoms at all.

Hepatitis B More than 95% of people who become infected as adults or older children will stage a full recovery and develop protective immunity to the virus. This is an STD and is transmitted just like HIV.

Pneumonia Fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pains. Your health care provider usually will prescribe antibiotics to treat this disease. The symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia usually go away within 12 to 36 hours after you start taking medicine.

Diphtheria This has been eradicated for the most part in the US since 1980 with only 5 cases total reported in the last 8 years. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, a mild sore throat and problems swallowing. Children infected have symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, chills, and a fever. Without medical attention there can be serious side effects. The key point here is that it has been eradicated.

That sums up the diseases for the most part. My issue with the vaccine companies and the big push from doctors and the government to vaccinate is that these diseases really aren't that worrisome. They really aren't. Most if not all are completely treatable with substances far less dangerous and with much fewer side effects than vaccinations themselves. Let's take a look at some vaccine side effects:

All of this is straight from the CDC (Centers for disease control and prevantion) government website:

Any vaccine can cause side effects

1 in 4 children vaccinated with DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis) will have a fever, redness or swelling where the shot was given, and soreness or tenderness where the shot was given. It is very common (1 in 30) and considered a "mild" reaction to have swelling of the entire arm or leg in which the shot was given, for 1 to 7 days. It is also listed under the possible side effects of this vaccine:
Seizure, non-stop crying (3 hours or more), high fever (105 F), long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness, permanent brain damage, chills, body aches, sore joints, rash, and swollen lymph glands.

Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine commonly causes fever, a rash, soreness and swelling. It can also cause seizures and pnemonia. Other serious problems, including severe neurological problems (brain reactions) and low blood count, have been reported after chickenpox vaccination. It is noted also that since this is a live vaccine, it is possible to contract chickenpox from the recently vaccinated person.

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine gives 1 out of 6 a fever. It is also very common to have a rash with it, and in some cases you'll see swelling of glands in the cheeks or neck. Listed as side effects are also: seizures, pain and stiffness in the joints, and low platelet count, which can cause a bleeding disorder, serious allergic reaction, deafness, long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness, and permanent brain damage.

The Rotavirus vaccine (the vaccine intended to prevent diarreah) reports that several children will have diarreah and vomiting because of this shot. It is still too new to have a complete list of side effects.

Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to give you all one more golden nugget of information.

It is NOT required for your children to be vaccinated to get into preschool or public school

Every state aside from 2 have religious exemptions and most have philosophical exemptions. They all have medical exemptions. In Arkansas, it is very easy to obtain a vaccine exemption for school aged children. Very, very easy.

If you have any vaccine questions whatsoever, please feel free to message me or post directly to this blog. If I don't know the answer, I will find it out for you. :-)

Pertussis vax does not prevent transmission of the disease. Vaxed kids can get and still spread WC. and antibiotic treatment is only effective inb the very beginning of the illness before the cough even starts. Most people don't know they have WC or are diagnosed until after this stage. At this point antibiotics are useless and can actually cause more harm. Sodium Ascorbate is the best treatment for WC.

Polio: over 95% of polio infections present like the common cold. Many of us may have had polio and not even known it. Less than 5% of people have issues with parlaysis and of those 5%, less than 1% have permanent damge, most make a full recovery in less than 2 years.

Hep B is not an STD. It can be spread sexually , but it is a blood borne disaese so one can get it by coming in contact with infected blood, ie sharing IV needles, dirty tattoo needles, accidental needle sticks for healthcare professionals (totally unnneccesary for a baby however)

Tetnus is only a problem in a wound that does not bleed. It can only cause problems in an aneorobic environment. Proper wound care is the best way to prevent tetnus.

If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." Thomas Jefferson.

Tetanus is my "pet" topic, lol, so I'd add more about that (fewer than 50 cases per year, almost never occurs in children, in cases where it's a true concern they'll give the tetanus immunoglobulin--NOT just the tetanus shot that they push on everyone with ANY injury!). There are a ton of threads about all that stuff in greater depth. I feel like that one is among the most misunderstood of practically all vaccines/illnesses because it's pushed on people with injuries, perpetuated by the rusty nail myth, etc. That's always the one people bring up in conversation with me and I always go through my whole spiel about it to set them straight!

I'm a technical writer, so I tend to be a harsh editor. I hope this is helpful to you!

Phase should be faze: "to disturb the composure of"
Need periods at the end of mumps and rubella sentences
Rubella's description really doesn't tell the reader anything.
diarrhea
Rotavirus description shouldn't all be in parentheses
Your points aren't parallel. That is, some points use the disease as a part of a sentence, while other points use the disease simply as a header. You should present the same type of information for each description. Disease, likelihood of contracting the disease, what happens to most people who get the disease, and basic treatment.
The description of tetanus is based on the fallacy that one can get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail.
Pertussis: Not so. At least, I wouldn't put it that way. You dismiss it out of hand, without any statements/data to support that dismissal.
Hib: The first and second sentences should be joined to make a full sentence. You don't actually state that Hib is meningitis.
Pneumonia: I don't think that the description is useful. You state the symptoms and what happens if you get it, but nothing about the likelihood, threat level, etc.
Diphtheria: Lead with "the key point" sentence.

That sums up the diseases for the most part. (Actually, you don't really sum them up. See my comments above.) My issue with the big push from doctors, vaccine companies, and the government to vaccinate is that these diseases really aren't that worrisome. Most, if not all, are completely treatable with substances far less dangerous and many fewer side effects than the vaccines themselves.
Let's take a look at some vaccine side effects:

CDC: Centers for Disease Control should be initial capped

Any vaccine can cause side effects. (period)
One in four children (don't start the sentence with the numeral, spell it out) Your punctuation in the DTaP paragraph is wonky. You need semicolons in the inline list. You should state "The possible side effects include:" (active voice instead of passive)

The varicella...
pneumonia
low blood count? Are you sure?
chicken pox is two words
Remove "it is also noted that" and state Because this is a live vaccine...

The MMR vaccine...
1 out of 6 what? Children? Anyone who's vaccinated?
Other side effects include:
You need semicolons in the inline list.

Rotavirus is more than just diarrhea. It's a specific virus that causes said problem.
How new is too new?

Make this statement active:
Your child does NOT have to be vaccinated to attend preschool or public school. All states have medical exemptions available. Forty-eight states have religious exemptions, and twenty-two (check that number, I could be wrong) also have philosophical objections.
Explain what that means.

Pertussis (Whooping cough) Essentially, this is a respitory infection with a bad cough. Antibiotic treatment is available.

I know what you're saying, but I disagree. As someone who has had pertussis, it can be SOOOOO much more than a bad cough. I understand that you are intentionally "downplaying" the illnesses (and I totally agree that many are over-hyped), but when you go too far, I think it weakens your arguments. Especially as in this case, the whole point of the vax is to reduce the severity of symptoms. One could argue: yeah, it's only a "bad cough" IF you get vax'ed. Otherwise, it is a horrible, horrible experience (which it was for me--I will NEVER forget that cough and the feeling of not being able to breath everytime a violent coughing fit came on, and the pain in my chest because it was just relentless).

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Pertussis vax does not prevent transmission of the disease. Vaxed kids can get and still spread WC. and antibiotic treatment is only effective inb the very beginning of the illness before the cough even starts. Most people don't know they have WC or are diagnosed until after this stage. At this point antibiotics are useless and can actually cause more harm. Sodium Ascorbate is the best treatment for WC.

This is more the angle I would take. Whether or not you get the vax, it is still around as the vax does not prevent transmission.

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Polio Polio itself is pretty darn scary, but there has not been a single case of polio caused by the wild virus since 1979, with a rare case reported each year from persons coming into the country carrying the virus. In 1994, polio was declared eradicated in all of the Americas.

I would also be careful of arguments that rely on "X disease has been eliminated in the US." because the two counter arugments to that are 1. Yes, they have been eradicated BECAUSE of the vax and if we stop vaxing they will come back and 2. The pro-vax cliche that "it's just a plane ride away." Now, you could argue both of these points (there are plenty of facts on your side for this), but do you want to? If you make these arguments, that's what you're setting yourself up for.

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Diphtheria This has been eradicated for the most part in the US since 1980 with only 5 cases total reported in the last 8 years. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, a mild sore throat and problems swallowing. Children infected have symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, chills, and a fever. Without medical attention there can be serious side effects. The key point here is that it has been eradicated.

Same thing. You'll get the arguments that it has been eradicated because most people are vax'ed for it and that it could enter the country at any time via a "dirty foreignor." So I would either focus on changes in diagnostic criteria, treatability, and mention overall decline BEFORE mass vaccination due to improved sanitation, nutrition, etc.

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Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Most children who first come in contact with Hib don't have a problem. Because meningitis is also caused by other viruses and bacteria. Hib vaccine will only protect against meningitis caused by Hib.

Perhaps mention serotype replacement: while the HiB vax has apparently been extremely effective, OVERALL rates of meningitis have not declined since the introduction of the vax because other strains have moved in to fill the void.

I *think* I've taken into account all the wonderful, helpful critiques you have all given. I may have missed one, though. Here is my revised copy:

Vaccine makers try their hardest to make the public believe that vaccines automatically equal immunity. It's just not the case, unfortunately. Parents who vaccinate their children are truly led to believe that because their children have been vaccinated, they will not contract that disease. You can still get measles when you have been vaccinated against them. You can still get anything if you've been vaccinated against it. It *might* make your case easier, but it might not.

A lot of the vaccines they suggest children get are for diseases that are not life-threatening in a healthy child. Raise your hand if you had chicken pox. It did suck having a fever and scratching for a week or two, but once you've had it, you typically have lasting immunity to it. Let me break down each disease children are suggested to be immunized against:
Measles same as chicken pox as far as "deadly" in a healthy child. Once you've had it, you typically have lasting immunity to it.

Mumps Symptoms generally include fever and swelling/pain in the parotid glands for 1-3 days. Once you've had it, you typically have lasting immunity to it. In several cases, signs and symptoms are so mild that no one suspects a mumps infection. Doctors believe that about 1 in 3 people may have a mumps infection without symptoms.

Rubella Symptoms include low grade fever, swollen glands, joint pains, headache, conjunctivitis, and a mild rash. Symptoms typically disappear in 3 days. Rubella is generally a mild disease, rare in infants or those over the age of 40. Once you've had it, you typically have lasting immunity to it.

Rotavirus By the age of five, nearly every child in the world has been infected with rotavirus at least once. However, with each infection, immunity develops, subsequent infections are less severe, and adults are rarely affected.

Tetanus The thing with Tetanus is that even if you are up to date with your vaccine and you step on a rusty nail, they're going to treat you just like you've never had one before. Tetanus is only a problem in a wound that does not bleed. It can only cause problems in an anaerobic environment. Proper wound care is the best way to prevent tetanus.

Pertussis (Whooping cough) Pertussis vaccine does not prevent transmission of the disease. Vaccinated kids can get and still spread WC. and antibiotic treatment is only effective in the very beginning of the illness before the cough even starts. Most people don't know they have WC or are diagnosed until after this stage. At this point antibiotics are useless and can actually cause more harm. Sodium Adsorbate is the best treatment for WC.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Most children who first come in contact with Hib don't have a problem, because meningitis is also caused by other viruses and bacteria. Hib vaccine will only protect against meningitis caused by Hib. While the Hib vaccine has apparently been extremely effective, OVERALL rates of meningitis have not declined since the introduction of the vaccine because other strains have moved in to fill the void.

Polio Polio itself is pretty darn scary, but there has not been a single case of polio caused by the wild virus since 1979, with a rare case reported each year from persons coming into the country carrying the virus. In 1994, polio was declared eradicated in all of the Americas. Over 95% of polio infections present like the common cold. Many of us may have had polio and not even known it. Less than 5% of people have issues with paralysis and of those 5%, less than 1% have permanent damage, most make a full recovery in less than 2 years.

Hepatitis A Hepatitis A does not have a chronic stage and does not cause permanent liver damage. Following infection, the immune system makes antibodies against the hepatitis A virus that confer immunity against future infection. An infection can be mistaken for the flu, but some sufferers, especially children, exhibit no symptoms at all.

Hepatitis B More than 95% of people who become infected as adults or older children will stage a full recovery and develop protective immunity to the virus. It can be spread sexually , but it is a blood borne disease so one can get it by coming in contact with infected blood, ie sharing IV needles, dirty tattoo needles, accidental needle sticks for health care professionals.

Pneumonia Fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pains. Your health care provider usually will prescribe antibiotics to treat this disease. The symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia usually go away within 12 to 36 hours after you start taking medicine.

Diphtheria This has been eradicated for the most part in the US since 1980 with only 5 cases total reported in the last 8 years. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, a mild sore throat and problems swallowing. Children infected have symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, chills, and a fever. Without medical attention there can be serious side effects. Diphtheria is relatively easy to treat should you come in contact with it.

That sums up the majority of diseases children are vaccinated against before entering school. My issue with the vaccine companies and the big push from doctors and the government to vaccinate is that these diseases really aren't that worrisome. They really aren't. Most if not all are completely treatable with substances far less dangerous and with much fewer side effects than vaccinations themselves. Let's take a look at some vaccine side effects:

All of this is straight from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and prevantion) government website:

Any vaccine can cause side effects.

One in four children vaccinated with DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis) will have a fever, redness or swelling where the shot was given, and soreness or tenderness where the shot was given. The possible side effects include and considered swelling of the entire arm or leg in which the shot was given, for 1 to 7 days. It is also listed under the possible side effects of this vaccine:
Seizure, non-stop crying (3 hours or more), high fever (105 F), long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness, permanent brain damage, chills, body aches, sore joints, rash, and swollen lymph glands.

Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine commonly causes fever, a rash, soreness and swelling. It can also cause seizures and pnemonia. Other serious problems, including severe neurological problems (brain reactions) and low blood count, have been reported after chicken pox vaccination. This is a live vaccine, and it is possible to contract chickenpox from the recently vaccinated person.

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine gives one out of six children a fever. Other side effects include rash, swelling of glands in the cheeks or neck, seizures, pain and stiffness in the joints, and low platelet count, which can cause a bleeding disorder, serious allergic reaction, deafness, long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness, and permanent brain damage.

The Rotavirus vaccine (the vaccine intended to prevent diarreah) reports that several children will have diarreah and vomiting because of this shot. The CDC does not have a complete list of side effects to date.

Your child does NOT have to be vaccinated to attend preschool or public school. All states have medical exemptions available. Forty-eight states have religious exemptions, and twenty-two (check that number, I could be wrong) also have philosophical objections.

For the MMR, DTaP, and chickenpox vaccines there is a disclaimer that states that it is safer to receive the vaccine rather than contract the disease(s). Knowing what we know by looking over the government list of side effects...which is more harmful? A scratchy rash and a fever or brain damage and seizures?

You don't have to be all-or-nothing when it comes to vaccines. You are free to pick and choose which ones you feel are truly necessary based on your own conclusions. If you think Hep A and B are important but feel that chicken pox and DTaP are not worth the risk, by all means...do that!

Don't be afraid of your pediatrician. If he or she is unwilling to compromise with you and respect your personal research and opinion, your child deserves to be seeing someone else. End of story. If you feel pressured by a doctor or caregiver for your child (or you) to receive a vaccine, you have every right to leave. Peer pressure isn't just for drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. The vast majority doesn't know that vaccines don't equal immunity and firmly believe that if your children don't get vaccinated that you are putting not only your child but the entire public at risk. This just simply isn't true. Don't let anyone...parents, friends, spouses, doctors, or nurses pressure you into something you aren't comfortable with. You can ALWAYS get a vaccine. You can NEVER take it back. Do your research and make your own conclusions. Don't let a doctor make these important decisions for you. While some doctors are good, kind individuals out for the good of the masses, just as many receive kickbacks for the number of vaccines they sell. The vaccines children receive may be "free" to you, but I assure you that your insurance and/or the government is paying a pretty penny for each and every one of them. It is all about business...you are your child's only real advocate. Only you know what is best for your child.